


Predator

by wanderstar



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Gen, Protective Ghouls, original character is pretty much blank slate/pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 19:27:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16918965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderstar/pseuds/wanderstar
Summary: A short fic about a human and the ghoul that cares about them





	Predator

**Author's Note:**

> Based a prompt from opuseponymustard on tumblr

There were many things they were still getting use to after joining the clergy. How to work with scratchy, oddly fitted vestments. Participating in dark and incomprehensible rituals. Trying to not get lost in a needlessly complicated set of corridors. The strangest thing, however, would have to be the closest friend they’d made at the church.

And the fact that the friend was a ghoul.

The two of them sat together on a bench, half dozing with their head resting on the ghoul’s shoulder and the ghoul’s tail wrapped around their arm. Sometimes another ghoul would come over to investigate, tail lashing as they sniffed the air, but the aether ghoul would growl deep in his chest, glaring at the other ghoul until they left. Only after they had disappeared would he break his gaze and turn his attention back to the human next to him.

“You don’t have to do that every time, you know,” the human murmured. Aether just huffed, wrapping his tail even closer around their arm, and they smiled.

–

The roar that echoed through the halls sent a bolt of fear deep into their stomach, bound hands trembling. Whatever had made that sound, wherever it was coming from, it was a predator in the purest sense of the word. The primeval, instinctual part of them screamed at them to run, to fight, get away, away from the predator! But there was nothing they could do. Not while they sat bound and helpless in the ritual circle.

The rogue clergy members around them shifted nervously but soon enough the leader gestured angrily for everyone to continue, shoving a slower member into his place. These clergy members apparently thought that the church was on the wrong path. That more sacrifices needed to be made to bring things back to their former glory, sacrifices both figuratively… and literally.

They had had the misfortune of stumbling onto the plot at just the wrong time. Rather than let them run and expose everything the rogue members had decided to make them the next sacrifice, killing two birds with one horribly lethal stone. And so here they were, unable to do anything to stop it. The ritual chant began and they curled into a ball, bracing for what would come.

_Kra-KOOM!_

Splinters and fragments of the door rained across the room, clergy members shouting in panic at another roar, this time right in front of them. They looked up in shock. There, standing in the doorway was Aether, claws and fangs on full display and eyes alight in fury, purple energy crackling around his frame.

What happened next was a blur of carnage and chaos, shouts and screams mixing with the sickening crack of flesh and bone impacting stone, Aether snarling in animalistic fury. Someone yanked their hair back and placed a knife at their throat.

“Stop, foul demon, or–!”

The clergy member never got to finish his sentence. Aether slammed into him at full force, hand closing around his throat and words cut off to a choked gurgle as he was slammed into the wall again and again until–

Silence.

The silence was broken by them coughing weakly, throat burning from where the knife had scraped but not quite broken the skin.

“A-aether?”

A worried rumble and then the ghoul scooped them up, breaking their bonds and cradling them in his arms. The fight was over, and it was time for them to get to safety. With a sigh they put their arms around Aether’s neck and relaxed, the motion of his steps and the warmth of his arms draining away their worries and stress.

They were friends with a predator, and there was nothing for them to fear.


End file.
